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Lakers Top Royals in L.A.

Jan. 27, 1965 - The glory days of the famous one-two punch of the Lakers are with us once again.

Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, playing as they did when they were the scourge of pro basketball, shot and ran the Cincinnati Royals into submission tonight to the screaming delight of 10,294 Los Angeles Sports Arena partisans.

West popped in 42 and Baylor 35 as the Lakers fought from behind in the last quarter to wipe out a five-point deficit and score a 119-112 victory.

The two Laker superstars were especially dazzling in the final quarter, accounting for 24 of the 32 points needed to subdue an ailing Oscar Robertson.

While the play of the two aces in their second straight high-scoring night — from one coast to the other — had the fans buzzing, Royal coach Jack McMahon was more concerned with some plays made by Leroy Ellis.

“I sneaked [Wayne] Embry back in the lineup during a time-out when we were only a point behind,” said McMahon, “because he usually wrecks Ellis. But Ellis stole the ball from him twice and with the Lakers hot, two errors can kill you.”

Laker coach Fred Schaus, admitting this was the best win for his club in a long time, felt the defensive job West did after taking over the Big O in the last 14 minutes was a key factor in the win.

Robertson, who almost didn’t play because he’s suffering from the flu, had rallied the Royals from a 10-point deficit at halftime to a 7-point lead when West took on the defensive assignment with two minutes left in the third period.

The Big O managed only six more points, while Jerry banged in 18 of his own to rally a club that appeared to have run out of gas in the third quarter.

With Gene Wiley, Jimmy King, and Rudy LaRusso playing sparkling ball, the Lakers looked terrific throughout the first half, leading most of the time because of a devastating fast break.

After intermission, McMahon put Robertson — being covered by the much smaller King — into the pivot.

From there, Oscar either scored or set up Jerry Lucas for unmolested jumpers, which he can hit as well as anybody.

That’s how the Royals wiped out the lead and appeared to take charge of the thriller.

But Baylor and West were merely resting for the final drive.



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